Senior Year
by timemachine
Summary: His life was empty. He was hanging on by a thread. With no where turn to, what should he do? Find out in this story. Set in high school. RnR. Please read and review.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I do not own Friends or anything affiliated with the show.

New story. The gang is in high school. Rachel is of course the popular cheerleader. Chandler and Joey are also popular jocks that play football and wrestling. Monica and Phoebe are also popular. Monica is a cheerleader and is NOT fat. Phoebe is her quirky self and plays hockey. She is the only girl and one of the best players. Ross is kind of a geek. However, not too much of a geek. He plays golf and runs track. It's Chandler, Joey, and Ross' senior year and Rachel, Monica, and Phoebe's junior year.

So that's about it. On with the show.

"Monica! Rachel and Phoebe are here!" Her mother bellowed from downstairs. It was 7:30 am and Monica had been up since 6:00. Actually she'd been up all night thinking about the next day. It was a new year. She'd lost all her fat over the summer and was sure to impress anyone that looked at her.

"Be right down!" Monica said excitedly, raising her hair and shaping it into an almost perfect bun.

Today was going to be a good day. Today was cheerleading tryouts. Today was the first day of school.

"You chicks ready?" Monica came bounding down the stairs, her hair swaying with the rhythm of her feet.

Rachel was leaning on the door seal, tapping her foot impatiently. "What's my body language tell ya?" She raised her eyebrow curiously.

"Stupid question?" She questioned, giving a fake smile.

"Bingo!" Rachel snapped, causing Monica to flinch, her body jerking back.

"Sorry, what crawled up your ass and died?" Monica snapped back with the same volume.

"She's disappointed that the summer is over and her and Chip can't make out passionately in Barbados anymore." Phoebe chimed in suggestively, making a kissing noise, causing her friend to give her a high pitched "shut up."

"Well, that's exactly what you were doing."

"Are we going to school or not?" Monica pushed her friends out of the house, waving to her mother casually while exiting the large home.

"God, it was a great summer." Rachel looked on dreamily, lost in paradise island, longing desperately for the summer to extend its short presence.

"Snap out of it beauty queen and hop in." Phoebe demanded persistently, awaking Rachel out her uncontrollable dream state.

Rachel jumped into the custom painted, flower designed jeep, Phoebe sparked the ignition, and they sped off to the first day of school.

It would be an unforgettable year.

Once Monica had left, Judy Gellar climbed up the stairs and gently opening her son, Ross' door. She carefully eased it open, trying to keep the peaceful silence that flowed throughout the room.

Being that Ross was a light sleeper and the large amount of sunshine that entered the room, he stirred, raising a lazy eye at his mother.

"Mom, what do you want?" He inquired, a little irritated that his mom had entered so early in the morning without warning.

"I was starting a load of laundry and thought I'd check to see if you had anything that needed washing for school?" She smiled sweetly, her eyes curious. She was a real charmer.

"I'm good mom. What I could use is more sleep." He mumbled while turning his back the other direction and divulging himself in his pillow.

"Well you're up now and breakfast is on the table. So lets go tiger." She said in her best motherly tone, picking up dirty laundry, then leaving quickly.

"I don't want to get up!" Ross retorted groggily, an effort that would prove fruitless.

He had, had enough with high school. It was too much to bare. Always the same. It seemed like summer would speed up just to spite him.

He woke up sick and pale. His head filled with fear and his heart wanting to breakdown.

But when he thought about it, school wasn't so bad. He was holding a 4.0 GPA and held two records in track and three in golf.

But it was the lack of friends that made him ache. To him, if you didn't have friends in high school you were a nobody. Everyone just knew him as "that smart kid."

Well, at least they knew him.

To Be Continued...

Like I start all my other stories-short and sweet. Maybe minus the sweet part. Hope you enjoyed it. Please review.


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I do not own Friends.

Fall 2005-City of Greenberg, just outside of New York City. I know it's not a real city, but this is fiction.

Ross drug his body out of his 1991 Nissan Centra and shuffled his feet toward the high school. The high school was perched on top of a hill, high above the town. It was the crowning achievement of Sir Richard Clark, the mayor of Greenberg almost ninety years ago. It was three stories filled with classrooms, a huge gym, many offices, and long hallways.

It was the hallways that scared him so much. He would rush from one class to the other as soon as the previous class ended. He always made sure to get to school right when the bell rang, so he wouldn't have to walk around aimlessly, thinking everyone was examining him.

He finally graced the door with the palm of his hand and dragged it open, his energy almost depleted. He had just woken up, however his mind had exhausted him with thoughts of teasing and loneliness.

School had officially begun and time would progress much more slowly now.

"Watch out!" A girl proclaimed, bumping into Ross. "Walking would be nice." He heard her murmur as she whipped her hair in his face and her and her friends giggled loudly while walking away.

"And it begins." Ross slumped his head to the ground and continued shuffling his feet toward his first class of the day. A time when he could get away from the social pressures of school-Physics.

The first classes of the day went on without any problems. Now it was time for lunch.

Ross gathered his food from the lunch line, wincing his eyes in disgust at the food they were serving. Normally he would go home for lunch to spend a little time in solitude, but this time he was meeting someone for lunch. A girl named Heather.

He cherished the time he spent with Heather. He felt like he could truly relax and be comfortable around her.

Heading towards the table she was sitting at he noticed her casually sweep away a few strands of honey blonde hair from her face. She had a beautiful complexion, and a rare innocence.

Almost angelic.

Before he knew it, his shadow had blanketed her figure and dissipated the light that loomed around her.

"Hey," he said shyly, circling around to the opposite side of the table. "What are you reading?" He whispered, noticing the thick yellow book laying flatly on the table.

"Oh nothing important. It's called Sidewinders. It's Sc-Fi." She explained, slightly embarrassed of the material before her.

Once she had book marked her page, she neatly placed it in her backpack and focused her attention on Ross.

"So, how have you been?" She said with the sweetest voice and a smile that could melt the sun.

"Okay, I guess. I can honestly say the first day of school is the worst." He moaned at the end of the statement and signed heavily, praying the day would end soon.

"I don't know, I think the first day is refreshing. Brings you back to reality."

She had a point. School did have that effect. Time to focus on college.

"It's just that, if you think about it, this is only the first day of an entire year. It's back to square one. And I particularly don't like "square one." Ross retorted, laughing nervously. He needed to bring his feelings to the surface. He needed to vent.

And Heather was the perfect person to talk to. She would never judge him. Never make any accusations or hurtful comments. Only listen intently and give Ross friendly advice.

She was like a therapist in that way.

"We could go back and forth with this topic the whole day. So I'll end with this. Ross, in a few months you'll be going off to Yale or Harvard or wherever you want to go and highschool will be over. Enjoy it now, while you can." She reached over and gracefully touched his hand, sending a jolt of energy streaming through his body, causing him to gulp in order to open up his throat.

"Th-thanks." He stammered, his face turning a bright shade of red.

"You're welcome." She was cheerful and optimistic in nature and this was just one example. "Lets go outside and relax in the sun before class starts."

Eventually class did start and the day ended peacefully for Ross. He had made it through the first day of school, thankfully.

Once out of class, he headed straight for his locker, keeping his head low so as not to make eye contact with anyone.

Upon retrieving his books, he quickly shut his locker and paced rapidly toward the front double doors.

"Hey Ross!" A familiar voice boomed throughout the bustling crowd of people trying to fit through the doors. Nobody bothering to wait for their turn to exit the school.

Nobody caring that much.

"Hey Ross, stop!" The voice sliced through the crowd, awaking Ross' ears and alerting his mind.

Who could possibly be calling him. It was a rarity for his name to be called by anyone in the school.

He turned around hesitantly, not believing the person was calling after him. He didn't want to make a fool out of himself.

Finally making the 180 degree turn, he was greeted with a prideful Monica staring at him blankly.

"Didn't you hear me calling you?" She asked, completely unaware of the way Ross' thought process worked.

Monica had always been popular. She was always well liked. She excelled at everything and never took "no" for an answer. She was stubborn in that way.

The one thing she had that most of the other popular girls didn't, was that she was real. She told it how it was and that was it. She wasn't one to "beat around the bush."

"I was draining everyone out. It's been a long day." Ross rubbed his eyes and moved his hands through his shaggy, dark brown hair.

"You're always tired. Listen I need a favor..."

"Isn't that a surprise." Ross cut her off, knowing full well that was the only reason she would ever talk to him during school hours.

Monica waived off the comment, completely missing how deep the situation really was.

"Anyway, as I was saying, I need a favor. Could you pick me and Rachel up from cheerleading practice today?" She squeezed her hands together in a praying gesture, hoping he would help her out.

"Why don't you ask Phoebe? Wait, doesn't Rachel have a car?" Ross purposefully pushed the conversation further, hoping for a rise.

"Ross come on. Pheeb's car is in the shop and Rachel's parents took her car away from her." She stopped and waited for a reply. Receiving a raised eyebrow she proceeded to convince Ross. "Look, you should know by now that you're the last person I'd ask for help. Please."

That wasn't the best route to take.

The comment stung. It used to be he'd be the first she'd come to for help or advice.

It had finally come to this. She needed to be out of resources. When desperation had been the only thing left. He was that desperation solution.

With those words, his heart went into a small depression and he suddenly didn't have the energy to argue anymore.

The worst part of it all was that Monica had no clue about his feelings. She figured what little was said was best for everyone.

With him feeling like his life had meant nothing, an icy coldness had spread throughout his body. The wall around his fragile exterior was growing rapidly everyday.

Highschool had changed his sister dramatically. Her whole perspective on life was flipped upside down.

"Yeah okay, I'll be there." His face dropped and he slumped even more, trying to make himself unnoticeable.

"Yes! You're the best." And with that she pranced off smiling gleefully, never noticing the strained expression plastered on her brother's face.

To Be Continued...

Okay, that chapter, to me was pretty bad. I had no rhythm. There was no substance. Anyway, please review. Thanks.


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I do not own Friends or anything affiliated with the show.  
So hereÕs the next chapter. Hope you enjoy it. By the way just to clear some confusion. This story is about the gangsÕ experiences in high school.

Ross absentmindedly discarded is heavy backpack on the center desk in the living room and hastily made his way to the kitchen.  
He had skipped golf practice today do to the sudden illness in his stomach. Well not actually skipped. He had told the coach. He tugged open the large refrigerator and popped open a can of orange soda, greedily gulping it down to a hollow can.  
Upon closing the fridge, he noticed a yellow sticky note placed awkwardly on the door. Ripping it off, he read it:  
I AM GOING TO HAVE A LONG NIGHT TONIGHT. HEREÕS 20 BUCKS FOR PIZZA. HAVE A GOOD NIGHT. LOVE YOU. MOM.  
This had been a usual occurrence as of late. Judy had just received a promotion in advertising sells and it initialed long nights in the city. Ross rolled his eyes at the sticky note and tossed it in the trash. She doesnÕt have to keep leaving these notes, he thought. It had become almost a convenience for him. Since Jack was always out of town on business and his mom working long nights in the city, it gave him the freedom to think and pass the hours with studying and college scholarships.  
But most of all it gave him some peace.  
Pushing up his prescription glasses, he rubbed the bridge of his nose soothingly. Feeling exhaustion once again take over his body, he retired to his room.  
Beep, beep, beep.  
His alarm blared, getting increasingly louder with each beep.  
He had set his alarm for 4:30 so he could pick up Monica and Rachel at cheer leading practice.  
He was debating not going and leaving her there.  
That would teach her.  
But he knew she would tell Mom and Dad. And then he would be in deep trouble.  
Plus he knew he could never let his sister hanging. He would always be connected to her and that meant a lot. Even though he sometimes felt like she was the most annoying and bossy person in the world. Deep down, he loved her more than anyone in the world.  
And he always would. No matter what.  
He would find out this love would be tested in the near future.  
To Be Continued.  
I will leave you there. This is going to turn into a romance, suspense, thriller story. I hope you like it. 


End file.
